This photo was taken by the late Jim Comber and bequeathed to the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. The photo is reproduced with permission from the Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

This photo was taken by the late Jim Comber and bequeathed to the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. The photo is reproduced with permission from the Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Synonyms

None

Origin in the Wild

Sumatra

Elevation in the Wild

1550-2000 metres

Habitat in the Wild

This species was collected from Mount Dempo in the Bengkulu Mountain Range. Jim Comber wrote that he found this species just north of Lake Toba in northern Sumatra (Comber 2001). Todd Barkman collected a plant along the Merek to Sidikalang Road at 1600 metres.

The Plants Description

The pseudobulbs cluster on a short rhizome. The pseudobulbs are shaped ovoid to almost globose and measure 8-9.55 in diameter.The leaves are petiolate; the petiole measures 1.5cm long. The leaf blades are shaped lanceolate and have acute apices. The leaf blades measure up to 6.6cm long and 1.8cm wide.

The Inflorescence

The inflorescence is synanthous and appears before the leaves have fully formed. The peduncle is erect and measures up to 9cm long. The rachis is arching and measures up to 7cm long. The flowers are spaced 4mm apart. The rachis is quadrangular in cross-section.

The Flowers

Approximately 17 flowers grow on an inflorescence, the flowers are light brown with a darker brown labellum. The dorsal sepal is shaped lanceolate with a narrowed and recurved acute apex. The dorsal sepal measures 1cm long and 2.75mm wide. The lateral sepals are shaped lanceolate with recurved acuminate to acute apices. The lateral sepals measure c1cm long and c3mm wide. The petals are shaped obliquely ovate and have recurved acuminate to acute apices. The petals have erose margins. The petals measure 8.75mm long and 3.4mm wide. The labellum is pendent and 3-lobed. The side lobes are flat, shaped obliquely triangular and have acute apices. The mid-lobe is shaped broadly ovate and measures 4.7mm long and 3.2mm wide. The margins of the labellum are irregular to erose. There are 2 keels on the labellum. The column is curved and triangular in cross section. The apical hood is almost quadrangular with a truncate apex. The stelidia grow from the base of the column are shaped linear and do not reach the column apex.

Flowering plants have been collected in the wild during January and October.

Culture

I do not think this species is in cultivation

Similar Species

Dendrochilum linearifolium

Other Information

J.J. Smith wrote that this species is similar to Dendrochilum linearifolium but differs by its wider leaves with acute apices and the densely hairy bracts, the 2 keels and a larger apical hood on the column.

Reference –

COMBER, J.B. Orchids of Sumatra, 2001, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 20 December 2008. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.kew.org/wcsp/ accessed 20 December 2008.